Lost characters
This page is about the characters in 'The Midlander', the mini series and 'Stories from the Wars' that were lost even before they made a speaking role, or they were killed due to world events. Swiss Guard Swiss Guard 'is a tank locomotive that served in World War One and was killed in action by Austro-Hungarian artillery while supporting the Italian infantry soldiers in 1917. Bio Swiss Guard was built by Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works (SLM), but under licence from the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway's (L&BSCR) Brighton Works, for the Railway Operating Division (ROD) when the need of locomotive came in 1915 to defend Italy. The licence was due to him being built to the design of the L&BSCR E2 class shunting tank locomotive, which was introduced in 1913. Instead of the newer version with extended water tanks, Swiss Guard was built to the original design with rectangular water tanks, nicknamed as the "E2 Mk I" (extended tank versions were nicknamed "E2 Mk II"). By the time Swiss Guard was built, Italy now had to prepare for a potential attack from the German and Austro-Hungarian armies. During an attack by German forces, Swiss Guard was shelling the enemy's machine gun nests and artillery with a 12in railway howitzer and was killed by a directly hit by a shell. His gunner and loader were also lost and most of him was scrapped, apart from his frame, which was kept as a memorial. Swiss Guard became the inspiration for Audie's attitude to never surrender and keep fighting. Livery Swiss Guard is painted in the standard Railway Operating Division (ROD) khaki livery used during WWI (Olivia is mainly painted in that livery) but with a few changes and added features including his signature silver crosses painted on his bunker and his funnel. His number '1527' and the letters 'ROD' are painted white on his water tanks in plain writing without shadowing effect. He also carries a black and silver nameplate on his smokebox that say 'Swiss Guard'. Basis or real locomotive Swiss Guard is based on the first five members of the LB&SCR E2 class 0-6-0T. These were built for short distance goods traffic and shunting work between 1913 to 1915, which the new version with extended water tanks to increase their range. All were withdrawn by 1962 and all were scrapped. Trivia Swiss Guard's model is an old Hornby E2 model made in the 1980s. It has been repainted to match the idea designed by Shane Sowter. His twisted frames that are shown after his death in 1917 is a kit model's frame that his been partly assembled and badly bent to represent a direct hit from a shell. To the Germans, Swiss Guard is called "Schweizergarde" Swiss Guard has many references to the Sack of Rome in 1527, these include: * His number '1527' comes from the year of the event. * Named after Pope Clement's protectors, the Royal Swiss Guard. * The silver Christian crosses (reference to the religion involved). * His works number (189 of 1915) refers to the Royal Swiss Guard having 189 soldiers at the time. Bowden Hall 'Bowden Hall '''was a Great Western Railway Hall class that served around World War Two. He was killed by bomb hit in 1941 during an air raid. Bio Livery Bowden Hall is painted in GWR Middle Chrome Green with the letters 'GWR' painted in yellow on his tender. He bears two brass and black number plates on his cab sides that say '4911'. He also has the number '4911' painted in yellow on his front buffer beam. Basis or real locomotive Trivia Bowden Hall was the first member of the GWR 4900 'Hall' class to be withdrawn from service. It was never replaced. Bowden Hall's model is a modified, renamed and renumbered Hornby model of No. 4901 'Adderley Hall'. This included painting of the cab interior and replacing the plastic buffers with sprung metal ones by Bachmann Europe Inc. Bowden Hall is the first character with a death scene. "The Diver" "The Diver" was the nickname earned to '''North British Railway No. 224, which because famous when he was involved in the famed Tay Bridge Disaster during a storm in December, 1879. He was the only survivor and lived for nearly a year underwater, earning his nickname among locomotives and railwaymen on the NBR. Bio No. 224 was built in 1971 and was the first inside-cylinder 4-4-0 ever built in the United Kingdom, since many express locomotives during that period were of the 2-2-2 or 4-2-2 Whyte notations. No. 224 was considered a revolutionary locomotive for the age and was more powerful than the standard locomotives produced down "past the border towards Newcastle-upon-Tweed" in England. In 1879, his most famous claim to fame happened when he was crossing the year-old Tay Bridge during a storm on Sunday, December 28th, 1879. Being superstitious, he knew that Sunday was a Sabbath but he was working on that day and his passengers were returning from the Christmas holidays. As he crossed the structure, the bridge collapsed in the violent winds and taking him, and 75 people to their deaths. Almost a year after the accident, he was found in the Firth of Tay inside on the box-section of the bridge and virtually intact and when the section was pulled out of the river, the workers were surprised to see that he was still alive, only after they failed twice to get him to the shore. One the other NBR locomotives soon thought that he survived so long underwater was because he was a diver, which lead to him being nicknamed "The Diver" by many. The Diver was soon returned to service and was rebuilt in 1885 to a tandem compound locomotive, the only NBR tandem compound ever built. He was renumbered to '1192' after ending up on the duplicate list in 1913 and was withdrawn in 1919. He was lucky enough to meet No. 673 (later to be named 'Maude'), who will later play a role as "The Diver" in a film about the Tay Bridge Disaster. Livery "The Diver" is painted in old North British Railway (NBR) lined green livery without lettering and Indian red frames. He also has a number plate on his cab sides that said '224' in copper. When "The Diver" first met Maude, he was painted in the standard NBR passenger locomotive brown with 'NBR' with his number on a brass plate. Basis or real locomotive "The Diver" is based off the real locomotive that took that nickname. This was the first of two members of NBR 224 class 4-4-0s designed by Thomas Wheatley and have the distinction of being the first British-operated inside-cylinder 4-4-0s in the country. No. 224 was involved in the famous Tay Bridge Disaster on December 28th, 1879, when it was hauling a passenger train with 72 passenger when the bridge collapsed and sent the train to the bottom of the Firth of Tay. It took a few months to recover the locomotive since the first and second attempts failed. The locomotive (No. 224) was nicknamed "The Diver" by railwaymen and drivers refused to have the locomotive cross the new Tay Bridge, but it did on the 29th anniversary of the disaster (December 28th, 1908), No. 224 did haul a Sunday mail train over the bridge. It, along with other class member, No. 264, were placed on the duplicate list in 1913 and renumbered respectively No. 1192 and No. 1198. No. 1192 was withdrawn and scrapped in 1919, which it outlasted No. 1198 and the 420 class (a development of the 224 class). Trivia "The Diver" is said to be a "tricky" model to make for Shane Sowter, since no kit was available for the class at the time. Instead, he made a scratch-built model out of brass, card and some 3D-printed parts, which include the plates. To help with the eras, Shane built two models to help with the differences in time. An urban legend surrounded "The Diver" which is said that every time the 4-4-0 crossed the Tay Bridge, it was driven by divers instead of railwaymen, which refused. Category:Tender locomotives Category:Tank locomotives Category:Ex-GWR Category:Non-British vehicles